Nebraska rallies, again, takes down Penn State

By BTN.com staff, 5 years ago

Nebraska rallies, again, takes down Penn State

By BTN.com staff, 5 years ago

Taylor Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner for Nebraska’s first lead, and the No. 18 Cornhuskers overcame a double-digit, second-half deficit for the fourth time this season in a 32-23 victory over Penn State on Saturday.

Ameer Abdullah ran for 116 yards on a career-high 31 carries, and Martinez finished with 104 yards as the Huskers pounded away on the ground on a windy afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

The Huskers (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten), down 14 points at half, got TD runs of 1 and 2 yards from Imani Cross to tie it at 20.

Martinez threw 56 yards to Kyler Reed on a third-and-5 and, three plays later, found Turner on a short slant in the end zone for the lead with 10:57 left.

Penn State (6-4, 4-2) looked ready to regain the lead, but tight end Matt Lehman fumbled into the end zone and Nebraska recovered.

RECAP: Penn State fell victim to a furious Cornhuskers comeback, as No. 16 Nebraska pulled out a 32-23 win on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Things didn’t look good for the Cornhuskers when they trailed by 11 points in the second quarter. However, Nebraska eventually battled back to take the lead with 11:34 remaining in the fourth quarter when Taylor Martinez and Jamal Turner combined for a five-yard touchdown.

The Cornhuskers’ Martinez passed for 168 yards, completing 11 of 19 throws. He tossed one touchdown and no interceptions. Martinez was also a threat on the ground, as he rushed for 100 yards on 15 attempts.

Nebraska’s offense dominated, ripping off huge chunks of yardage. The Nittany Lions’ defense gave up five plays of at least 20 yards. With 13:23 to go in the fourth quarter, Martinez found Kyler Reed open for a 56-yard pass, the Cornhuskers’ biggest gain of the game. The big play set up an eight-play drive that gave Nebraska a 27-23 lead after the Cornhuskers scored on Martinez’s pass.

Zach Zwinak did his best to carry Penn State’s offense, turning 21 carries into 136 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Nebraska racked up 436 total yards. In addition to Martinez’s efforts through the air, the Cornhuskers also rushed 58 times for 268 yards.

The Nittany Lions’ Matt McGloin was good for 239 yards during the game, completing 18 of 38 passes. McGloin tossed one touchdown and one interception. McGloin had a good connection with receiver Allen Robinson. He hauled in six catches for 96 yards.

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